Slash
by SoaringGryphonProductions
Summary: Haruko Nakajima is a half-Japanese Argentinian-American from the East Side of San Jose, California. Known as 'Slash', she plays cornerback, strong safety and kick returner for the Nakayama Fighting Falcons, a team of American exchange students. She has one job on the field, to hit you...hard.
1. Chapter 1

**Eyeshield 21: Slash**

 **Chapter 1: Half-Breed**

Defense wins championships. Offense scores points. In two sentences, that is football. When you're out on that field, you learn a few lessons: how to work with others, how to do you part to help the team. Put those together and you win games. When you think of girls playing football it's usually as a quarterback or kicker. Well, I am none of those.

My name is Haruko Nakajima. I play on defense. I play cornerback, strong safety, and special teams for the Nakayama Fighting Falcons. Growing up on the East Side of San Jose, I was raised in a bilingual house. My dad's Argentinian and my mom is Japanese. I am 5'9 and 175lbs. I got the Latina curves and tan, plus the Asian hair and brown eyes.

When I am on the field, I am a pitbull defending it's territory. I'm going hit you, and I'm going to enjoy hitting you. I give quarterbacks nightmares, and I make wide receivers cry. Sasuke Kanagushi of the Dokubari Scorpions says that everyone on his team hates my guts, but they all wish that I was playing for them. To me, that's what it's all about.

I don't play the way I do to be liked. I play to help my teammates win ball games. I have been playing football since middle school, and I have tasted the sweetness of victory and the bitter taste of defeat. Our team has only been in this league for three years, and our defense is so destructive that we are already catching the eye of the local media.

Get to know me, I can be your best friend. If you face me during practice or on the field on Friday night, then you will have to redefine the phrase, 'you hit like a girl'. Through practice and getting to know my teammates, our defense is a solid unit. Working with me is our free safety Devin Wells, and cornerbacks Landon Wright and Victor Townsend.

We are the enforcers in the secondary. Our captain on defense is Derrick Carter. A 5'10 and 190lbs middle linebacker, he did not put up a fight against me being on the team, let alone on defense. He must've seen something in me, and gave me this piece of football wisdom: 'when you hit them just right and hear that 'whack!' there's no better feeling'.

Our school colors are navy blue, silver, and white. Our helmets and facemasks are silver with a soaring navy blue F-16 outline. We wear navy blue jerseys with silver grey shoulders and white numerals with a silver bordering and a large silver lightning bolt on the sides of the jersey and pants. The navy blue pants and socks finish the uniform.

I pulled up my pants, and pulled down my jersey over my shoulder pads. If you're a wide receiver on the other team, you will fear the number 27. I picked up my helmet with chinstrap and mouthguard from my locker in the girls locker room. Derrick was the first to greet me behind the stands with my other teammates, "Go get 'em, Slash," he said,

"You got it," I said putting on my helmet, Steve Atwater was my favorite player growing up. Hence the number I had chosen, and the style of facemask. We got onto the field for our first game of the season against the Sengoku Samurai. Upon losing the coin toss, we had to kickoff. Our kicker, Danny Chen, kicked a beautiful one to start our first game.

The kick sailed into the endzone for a touchback. Captain Derrick Carter called us to our huddle, "Now we all hungry out here, let's do what we do best, Wright, Wells, Townsend, Nakajima...Unleash hell," said Derrick, we looked to each other and nodded and made various handshakes, "a'ight defense, we got this, let's get 'em, hit 'em and hit 'em hard,"

Derrick seemed to be reading the offense, and turned to me with a nod. That means I'm bringing the pressure on the quarterback. The quarterback dropped back to pass on first down, and I saw my opportunity with a huge hole in the offensive line. I hit him right as he was dropping back. He landed hard and back first into the turf. We scored a safety.

In football, you have to set the tone early. On second down, the Samurai tried again to get out of the endzone. The quarterback dropped back to pass and heaved a deep ball out of the endzone. I used my speed to keep up with the receiver, and picked off the pass. We lived up to our reputation for having one of the best defenses in the Kantou league

We were not stopping the nightmare on the Sengoku Samurai. We sacked the quarterback seven times, one for me and three for Derrick. We also recorded five interceptions with two going for touchdowns. I helped in the secondary bringing the lumber on receivers. I even knocked one out with a concussion. With help from the offense, we won 27-0.

The Samurai were getting a little rhythm going near the end of the fourth quarter, but too late for them to save the game. When the Samurai got to the fifty yard line, the quarterback looked to pass, and got his man for a first down or so he thinks. I led with my shoulder to his helmet to make the hit. His helmet flew off and he dropped the ball.

He looked up at me, and knew I was a girl. He asked me in Japanese 'what the hell are you?' I smiled back lightly, and helped him up. I am a fan of Metallica growing up, and I figured I would use one of my favorite songs, "Some kind of monster," I replied, and patted him on the helmet. To all the teams in the League, are you ready for some football.


	2. Chapter 2

**Eyeshield 21: 'Slash'**

 **Chapter 2: Coming For You (The Offspring)**

 **(As Told By: Derrick Carter)**

I've been playing football all my life from Pop Warner to where I am now in high school. Every coach I've played for says the same thing after every first practice: offense wins games, but defense wins championships. As hard as I play, I've played for primarily losing teams. It's not about the wins or the notoriety. It's about playing the game you love.

I didn't think my talents would land me in Japan of all places, but with the abroad studies program at my old school in Oakland I found myself here. I'm a 5'10, 190lbs weapon. I play middle linebacker, and I'm the defensive captain for the Nakayama Fighting Falcons. Yet one player changed the way I look at football players. Her name is Haruko Nakajima

Most call her 'Slash'. She is a 5'9, 175lbs Japanese-Argentinian rattlesnake. Don't let those pretty brown eyes or her smile fool you. 'Slash' has only one job on that field, 'seek and destroy'. It's like being in the army, it doesn't matter what or who you are as long as you can play and bring something to help the team. So 'Slash' brought in someone new

I knew this one as she is a transfer student from one of the other 'American' schools that are now coming around the Tokyo Area. There seem to be a lot of them nowadays. We needed someone to fill in a position for Devin Wells after he got injured, and now he was out for the season. Now we have 'Lionesses' in the secondary. The new one is Tina Choi

A Chinese-American from Kona in Hawai'i. They got that 'girlfriends' kind of relationship going on. Not that thing behind closed doors, but more like that thing where one of them won't say no to hanging out in Shinjuku. I had no problem with her on the field, and she made her name known one practice with a huge hit on the starting receiver Daron West.

"Who taught you how to hit? Wonder Woman?!" praised Landon Wright,

"Dude, I feel like Wonder Woman in these blue pants," Tina replied back,

"Girl, you just knocked Daron the FUCK OUT!" praised Victor Townsend.

"Way to hit, Choi, let's go!" cheered Haruko as they butted facemasks.

When you get someone new on the team, you need to boost up their confidence. I had a feeling we are going to be the surprise team this year. We got all the pieces we need on defense, and the offense has got some weapons too. Daron got a hand up, and was helped back to the huddle from our 'Hit-Girls'. Everyone on the team looks out for each other

These two are both the same size, but Tina has a thick braid in the back. With these two patrolling as free safety and strong safety, we will give offenses nightmares. That would be the case with our first game of the season. It was against Seibu. Haruko and Tina came out of the ladies room in uniform. Their pants were painted onto their hips and thighs.

Our school uses Schutt Varsity AiR XP Pro VTD II helmet. They wear Steve Atwater type of facemask with mirrored visors, "Let's do this," I smirked, and these two came out to 'seek and destroy' like lionesses. I've played a lot of football. I've never seen ball-hawks like them. On my defense, I hit hard so I expect them to hit hard. They don't disappoint

The Seibu Wild Gunmen will learn to fear the numbers '24' and '27'. Those two shut down their passing attack. Each of them got a pick-six while I racked up the sacks, and shut down the running game. There was one moment, one play, that cemented Tina Choi's permanent place on this defense. Haruko fell for the 'pump-fake', and a receiver got open.

Choi was not fooled, and right as the receiver caught the ball...BAM! Tina laid a shoulder into his helmet. The ball rolled on the turf for Haruko to recover while the receiver got lit up. He left the game with a concussion. 'Slash' got six points with Tina leading as a blocker. They ain't like me in they don't talk a lot of smack. Their actions do the smack-talk

"That's my 'Hit-Girls', that's the way! That's how you fuckin' hit!" I praised,

Haruko came in as we jogged off the field, "Hey, sorry about the coverage,"

"It's cool...just don't let the QB get you like that," I said patting her helmet,

The offense kept being the hammer to the nail on the Wild Gunmen. The offensive captain is quarterback Kayden Wesley, a 5'9 and 160lbs 'pretty boy' of a passer. The typical dark brown-haired, brown-eyed white boy, kind of like a high school-sized Shane Falco. Trying to tackle him is like trying to tackle a loose chicken. He's got a cannon for an arm.

I'd call him one of the Kantou League's 'nice guys', and he's one of the funniest trash talkers, "Hey, are you guys really blitzing? I could finish my algebra homework in the pass pocket," Kayden taunted to the Seibu defense, "c'mon boys, you gotta D-up or something," he added, Kayden's always good for a laugh, but he is serious about his football skills

His passes are a thing to watch. He can throw a hundred yards with a perfect spiral. I don't think I've seen him throw a pick. He has an attitude toward others where he has faith in them. He knows everyone tries their hardest on the field. I got feeling this season is going to be different than all the others. Watch out, Kantou League, we're coming for you.


End file.
